Only one of the 51 convicted individuals ultimately decides to appeal.

The ongoing saga of the  Mazan rapes trial  continues to send shockwaves not only through France but also globally. A recent update revealed that only  one of the 51 men  convicted during the trial will be appealing his sentence. As of June 3, a judicial source indicated that the remaining sixteen who had initially filed for appeal have since withdrawn their requests.

Husamettin D., a 44-year-old sentenced to  nine years in prison  in December, will appear alone this fall before the Nîmes Court of Assizes. He intends to contest the  duration  of his sentence, not his culpability. This was confirmed by a source speaking to AFP under the condition of anonymity.

Dominique Pelicot, the ringleader of this decade-long  rape ordeal  involving Gisèle Pelicot, had been handed a maximum sentence of  twenty years  with a two-thirds safety measure. He had opted against an appeal immediately, which meant he wouldn’t face retrial, while initially, seventeen of his fifty co-defendants sought to appeal.

Since the beginning of this year,  sixteen co-defendants  have withdrawn their appeals in a staggered fashion, with the last three making their decisions on Tuesday after an initial inquiry by the presiding judge of the Gard Assize Court, Christian Pasta.

A Shorter Trial on the Horizon

The trial, initially slated to run from  October 6  to  November 21 , is expected to be significantly shorter now. Husamettin D. retains the right to withdraw until the trial starts.

Most of Dominique Pelicot’s fifty co-defendants, aged between  27 and 74 , were deemed guilty of raping Gisèle Pelicot. Their sentences varied from  three years with two years suspended  for one man—an elderly retired individual judged only for sexual assault—to  fifteen years  for another individual who assaulted Mrs. Pelicot six times.

First on the stand was Husamettin D., who  denied  the allegations against him during his single appearance in Avignon on September 25. He claimed to have thought he was engaging in a “libertine couple” scenario, where the woman was merely “pretending to sleep.” He expressed disbelief at being labeled a rapist, which he found to be an untenable burden.

Upon being reminded of the legal definition of  rape , which involves any sexual penetration or oral act committed with “violence, constraint, threat, or surprise,” Husamettin D. finally admitted, “Now I recognize that it’s a rape.”

A Ripple of Shock

Prosecutors had initially requested a  twelve-year  sentence for Husamettin D. During the defense, his attorney argued that a video of the act showed Mrs. Pelicot making “a movement of the hips to position herself.” This contention visibly upset her; she left the courtroom amid rising emotions during that particular session.

The first-instance trial sparked extensive debate across French society and beyond, becoming a  case study  of issues surrounding gender-based violence. Prime Minister François Bayrou remarked that Gisèle Pelicot’s fight “obliges us all and must be pursued.” Leaders from Spain and Germany praised her courage with comments like “Thank you, Gisèle,” showcasing international solidarity.

While Dominique Pelicot may only testify in this upcoming potential appeal trial, he still faces potential repercussions from the judicial system. He has been implicated in previous cold cases, including a  1999 attempted rape  in Seine-et-Marne and a  1991 murder-rape case  involving Sophie Narme, a 23-year-old real estate agent in Paris.